Biography of Benjamin

Walter Benjamin: a critical life

Walter Benjamin (1892-1940) was a crucial thinker of the first half of the 20th century. His perspectives and ideas, captivating yet elusive, had a profound impact on the humanities throughout the century. Benjamin's diverse academic interests spanned philosophy, literature, art, photography, film, architecture, and translation, yet he was never confined to a single modern academic field, a single literary style, or a single paradigm of thought. As the author of this book puts it, "Benjamin's genius lay in his ability to discover a form in which a depth and complexity comparable to those of his contemporaries, Heidegger and Wittgenstein, could resonate through a prose that was immediately moving and unforgettable."
This book is an outstanding, landmark biography of Benjamin. In a monumental 900 pages, two veteran Benjamin scholars, editors of Benjamin's collected works, and translators, Allan and Jennings, offer a panoramic portrait of Benjamin's life and the magnificent historical context and cultural landscape of the early 20th century, as the world transitioned from yesterday to the interwar period. Furthermore, this biography goes beyond a simple chronological account; it also charts the writing process of several of Benjamin's major works and expounds on his key texts, serving as a reliable guide through the labyrinth of Benjamin's thought. Upon its publication in 2014, the original book received rave reviews and scholarly acclaim, and was subsequently translated into Benjamin's native German by Suhrkamp in 2020.
Writing biographies of intellectuals is difficult because so much of what is called events actually happens only in the mind or on the page—but that's what really matters. Allan and Jennings meticulously comb through Benjamin's major works, and even in the most obscure passages, their interpretations are remarkably clear. Thus, this biography is more than a simple chronology of his life; it's a reliable map guiding us through the labyrinth of Benjamin's thought. —Peter E. Gordon, The New Republic
This book is a culmination of all the existing material on Benjamin's life—letters, diaries, reminiscences of friends—and all his major works, filling a gap in current Benjamin studies... This book clearly shows how Benjamin was shaped by the European history in which he lived. —Adam Kirsch, The New York Review of Books
An outstanding and landmark biography of Benjamin. Allan and Jennings' meticulous portrayal of Benjamin's life and their sharp and subtle analysis of his philosophy allow us to appreciate the greatness of his intellectual achievements. —Anthony Phelan, The Times Literary Supplement
This is the most comprehensive biography of Benjamin we are likely to read to date... The two authors have devoted nearly their entire lives to the study of Benjamin... Their exposition of Benjamin's thought is exemplary, and their exploration of his life is astonishing. —Modris Eksteins, The Wall Street Journal

2022-07-01

上海文艺出版社

Arts and Culture eons

908

9787532182923